Imitation of Life (1959)

Blatantly explored race, class and gender at a time of great social change in US history. The plot follows the lives of two widows and their troubled daughters. In the search for success, one of the widows – a struggling actress – neglects her daughter while the other widow, who becomes the actress’s housekeeper, struggles with her own daughter’s repudiation and her efforts to pass for white. As the years pass, each of the four women realizes that she has been chasing a façade.

Film screening will be followed by a discussion led by Professor Kelly Josephs.